Pretender's Got My Heart
by Ellebel
Summary: Sam and Jack have to pretend to be married, but someone's having trouble keeping up appearances. Romance ensues...
1. Chapter 1: That kind of mission

Hi everyone!  
This is my second story after having remote success with my first!  
I do hope you all enjoy and leave me a review.  
I write reasonably short chapters, but hope to update at least weekly.  
I have a good idea of where this is going, but comments or ideas are always welcome. Thank you & happy reading!

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Sam Carter was not amused. Once more, SG1 had been assigned a mission to a planet where the people hadn't learnt the term 'emancipation' yet.  
Sitting at the briefing table and listening to Daniel explaining why they needed to go along with their cultural beliefs had been incredibly frustrating.  
The worst thing was that her teammates had no idea what the big deal was. Sure, they realized Sam hadn't had the greatest experience with these kinds of societies, but they didn't understand how close to home it all hit.  
She herself had been confronted with a lack of emancipation on her own planet, in her own familiar environment many times in her life. There weren't many female soldiers, and even less fighter pilots. Even when she got recruited to the SGC, she still felt like she had to prove daily that she was just as strong, brave and fast as any other man in the program. Even Jack had made her feel that way at first.  
Sam sighed. She knew her team respected her, and didn't think any less of her. In fact, she knew they thought of her as an equal, and even looked up at her.  
But most of the time, they didn't even realize she was a girl… well, woman. They treated her as one of the guys, which she admittedly liked. But whenever she had to put on some local dress, or some aliens abducted her, she could see the realization dawn in there eyes: that she was a woman, to be protected.  
Her team's protective nature didn't exactly bother her, it made her feel accepted, like she had found a weird little alternative family here at the SGC, but still, she didn't like feeling weak and submissive.  
She sighed. On top of all of that, Hammond had decided that Sam would pretend to be Jack O'Neill's wife. She closed her eyes, remembering Jack's mischievous grin at the announcement.  
She couldn't deny the spark of excitement that she felt, nor the butterflies coming alive in her stomach, but a certain feeling of fear, dread, and sadness accompanied the excitement.  
She was going to pretend to be married to the man she could never have…

Shaking her head to rid herself of these useless emotions, she went to the dressing room to get ready for her mission to PXG-498, also known as Eroga.  
Daniel had said the planet was very like earth, but he had found some amazing plant life. Sam was surprised at that, Daniel usually only noticed things of cultural or historical value.  
Although not very developed technologically, 'or intellectually', Sam thought, the people of Eroga were strong-willed and careful of strangers. Thus, SG1 had been assigned to make friends and discover what this world might have to offer. "They'd better have something worthwhile", Sam muttered as she strapped on her P-90 and left for the gate room.

Her three teammates were already standing in front of the ramp when Sam arrived.  
A nod from Jack O'Neill urged Walter to start the dialling process. "Ready Carter?", Jack asked.  
"Yes Sir", she confirmed, a fake smile already in place. "See you in one week, SG1. God's speed", General Hammond's booming voice sounded from beyond the glass.  
The team started up the ramp when Daniel suddenly stopped. "Danny?", Jack questioned. "Uh, I was just thinking, maybe you guys should… go together? You know, to stick to the cover."  
Sam sighed, 'they weren't even off world yet and already she had to stick to her CO's side?'. Not voicing these thoughts, but rather obediently moving to stand beside Jack, she grimaced at her younger friend, and marched up the ramp in a brisk pace.

Jack O'Neill stood in the gate room, waiting for the last member of his team to arrive.  
Even though he had been very excited at first to be playing Carter's wife, his excitement had now given way to nerves.  
The joy he had felt was still there though. For the next week, he would be constantly accompanied by his favourite scientist and – let's face it – woman at the SGC… and anywhere else for that matter.  
He would be able to do things he'd always dreamt of, but was never able to, due to his insecurities, and those darn fraternisation rules. Of course, he did realize it was only for a week, and, more importantly, it was all pretence.  
He was not actually married to Sam, and she was only letting him pretend in order to complete the mission.  
His heart sank. Suddenly, it didn't seem such a good idea to be pretending to be in love with his 2IC, when he was having trouble trying to hide being in love with her, every day.

Carter's footsteps snapped him out of his worries, and he nodded to Walter to start the dialling sequence.  
Halfway up the ramp, Daniel insisted they'd go together, which Sam took rather badly, he noticed.  
Deciding to take it easy and not put too much pressure on his Major, he kept quiet and followed her through the gate.

TBC….

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That's it for the first chapter! What did you guys think?

E.


	2. Chapter 2: Making new friends

Hi all! I got some comments on the layout so I hope that's fixed now. I was also asked which season this story would be set in. I suppose it would be around season 3-4, definitely after the Emancipation episode, which was season 1, but before the Upgrades episode, which is season 4. I hope that clears things up a bit…

I'd like to thank those who have posted reviews and added me to their follow lists, you people fuel my inspiration. I do hope you'll keep reading and reviewing. Chapter 2 is here, so go ahead and enjoy! Happy reading!

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"… and this is his wife, Sam", Daniel finished the introductions. Realizing she wasn't paying attention, Sam drew her gaze away from her hand, wrapped in the much larger one of her CO. She smiled politely at the two villagers Daniel had just introduced her to. Unsurprisingly, they were both men. Both were tall and blond, dressed in blue robes. "We would like to welcome you properly and celebrate our new found friendship and alliance tonight, with a feast!", one of the men proudly stated. "Great!", Jack replied. "Now if you would please follow Deran and myself to the accommodations we have provided for you", the same man spoke again, and without waiting for an answer, he turned around and started walking.

Sam silently followed the men. She heard Daniel excitedly talking to the villagers and soon picked up that the other man's name was Tanno. She wondered why she bothered learning the men's names; she probably wasn't allowed to address them anyway. Pushing away the feeling of frustration bubbling up in her throat, she focused on the large white tent they were now standing beside, which was apparently what Tanno had meant with "accommodations". A small gasp escaped her when they entered, it seemed the natives really wanted to impress them. The inside of the tent was decorated with white and red veils. In the middle of the area, a curtain was hung to provide some privacy for the 'married couple'. The floor of the tent was covered with pillows, and small lanterns stood in the corners. "It's lovely", she stated quietly. Tanno and Deran looked surprised, this was after all the first time she had spoken… Sam cursed silently, hoping she hadn't already stepped out of line. To her surprise, the two men bowed slightly and spoke a humble "Thank you". "O'Neill," Deran started, "may I speak to your wife?". 'Ohhh, so close', Sam thought. "Errr, sure", Jack said. "Miss, may I ask you to accompany my beloved? She would like to offer you appropriate attire for our feast this evening", Deran informed her. Relieved, Sam nodded yes. Apparently, she had judged these people too harshly…

o

Sam stood in a smaller tent, eyeing the blue dress doubtfully. Serina, Deran's beautiful dark-haired wife, smiled politely. "Is that the ..uhm.. traditional garment for women?", she asked the shy woman. "It is the traditional attire for an evening feast", Serina confirmed. "Right…", Sam muttered. It seemed Serina was wearing the pink version of what she was supposed to wear, 'and it didn't leave much to the imagination', Sam thought. The dark pink top covered her breasts, but left her tummy exposed, reminding Sam very much of a belly-dancer outfit. The skirt was lighter pink and very wavy, coming down to her feet. "No veil?", she joked. "Veil?", Serina asked, confused. "To cover the face", Sam explained. "Oh no, the other woman answered, our faces are never covered. Is that traditional in your culture?" she asked politely. "Uh, no" Sam said, "it's just that, the planets we have visited, with a culture and social system like yours, tend to veil their women…" Sam explained, hoping she hadn't offended her. "I see," Serina said doubtfully. "I didn't mean any disrespect", Sam rushed. Serina smiled. "Do not worry Samantha, you are not of this world, I understand you are merely trying to understand our ways", she said reassuringly. Sam smiled thankfully.

"Serina," she started, "may I ask how your marriages work?" Serina looked surprised but nodded. "When a boy turns 16, his parents find him a suitable wife. Young girls are trained from an early age to cook, wash, and clean, so they may become good wives and mothers, and take care of their future family. When they turn 14, they become available for marriage, which is usually arranged by the parents. The young couple lives with the parents of the boy, until they are deemed mature enough to start their own family. This is when the girl becomes a woman. It is her duty to take care of her husband and mother a big family. Only when she becomes a mother, has she fulfilled her role and her duty to the system", Serina explained. Sam nodded. This was more or less what she expected. "Do the men sometimes have… several wives?" Sam asked carefully. Serina's eyes widened. "No! That is unthinkable! The young couple swears a vow to remain faithful and take care of the other until the end", she spoke strongly. "Do you not have this loyalty on your planet?" she asked, worried. "Yes," Sam smiled, "yes, we do". "Now, care to help me put this on?" Sam asked, eyeing the blue dress again. Serina smiled and helped the soldier into what was possible the sexiest outfit she had ever worn.

o

"Carter?", Jack whispered. Sam sighed. She had been hiding in the tent Serina had brought her to, unsure if she would dare to come out dressed like this. "Come in", she muttered, slightly annoyed that he had found her already. His eyes found hers in the mirror, and she saw his widen in shock as he took in the outfit. "Wow", he said. "You look… wow", Jack lamely concluded. Sam blushed. "Yeah, it's a bit much isn't it?", she said. "No no," Jack quickly stated, "I like it". Sam smiled shyly. "Come on, let's go show you off!". Sam giggled uncharacteristically as Jack dragged her out of the tent, and toward the site of their welcoming feast.

o

Daniel Jackson looked up as he heard a giggle. Surprise written in his eyes, he noticed that the giggle had come from his usually serious friend. He smiled. He always knew these two had a thing for each other. Of course they couldn't act on it because of the rules the military had, about not sleeping with people on your team, or of your rank, or of a different rank? Whatever, he didn't really understand those military rules anyway. Sam and Jack were the best soldiers, and people, that he knew, and he thought they deserved to be happy. He knew they loved their job more than anything, but he was sure a relationship wouldn't endanger their behaviour on the field. SG1 was as close to a family any of them had, and they would all do the unthinkable to save one another. Although they never actually talked about it, he knew Jack loved Sam, and he would go way beyond his duty to save her. Seeing them together like this warmed his heart, and he couldn't stop the grin that threatened to split his face in half, when Sam's giggle rung out again.

TBC…

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That's it for chapter 2! I hope it wasn't too boring! I promise something more exciting will happen soon ;) Comments and ideas are always welcome!

E.


	3. Chapter 3: The feast

Hi all!

It's been a while but I had a thesis to write, which deserved first priority, as I'm sure you all agree. In any case, I'm sorry for the delay. Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing, I hope you guys keep it up! Enjoy the next chapter! Happy Reading!

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"In honour of our new friends, tonight we will all share a meal, as a symbol of our new alliance!", Tanno spoke, as he indicated a table which was loaded with bowls of food. "But first, the lovely women of our village will provide the entertainment!". Tanno smiled and bowed his head to the woman sitting beside him. She rose, and Sam saw she was wearing the green version of her dress. Looking around, she noticed that all the women were wearing her outfit, albeit in various colours. The woman in green nodded back to Tanno, who sat down. She started walking around and took the hand of two other women. All of the villagers, male and female, including Daniel, Jack and Sam, were sitting in a circle, around the campfire. The three women moved to the centre of the circle, where they started to dance. One by one, the women were taken by the hand and joined the dance, until finally Serina appeared in front of Sam, and pulled her into the circle.

Sam didn't know the dance, but she found her body moving to the music, as she followed the women's movements around the fire. Mid-twirl, she noticed Jack looking, or rather, staring, at her. Blushing, she looked away, but continued the dance. When the music stopped, she went back to her place, not realizing the other women were still standing, forming a colourful inner circle. Finally, the women bowed and returned to their places as well. The men were cheering and whistling, and Jack and Daniel looked at their colleague and friend, surprise and admiration written in their eyes. Trying not to get lost in her CO's chocolate eyes, she tried to focus on Tanno, who had stood again.

"Thank you, for that wonderful performance!", Tanno stated proudly. "And now", he continued, "we shall dine as kings and queens!". He passed several bowls filled with food to his neighbour, who took a handful and passed it on as well. Apparently this 'sharing' was to be interpreted quite literally, Jack thought. When they had tasted of too many bowls of food, and everyone seemed to have satisfied their hunger, Tanno and his wife started a chant. Soon, the others joined in, and Sam heard Daniel humming along. Throwing him a look of curiosity, she noticed Jack's grin at his friend's enthusiasm. Daniel stopped and scooted closer to whisper: "This is some sort of prayer to thank the Gods, they're vouching their gratitude for the food, their health, the climate, the na-" "Yes yes Daniel we get it!", Jack hissed back. Sam smiled and sat back to enjoy the vocal talents of the villagers.

When the praying or chanting was over, Tanno called the team over to the table which had carried all the food, to show them various canisters filled with liquid. "This is all made from plantlife which naturally occurs on our planet", he stated. "Some plants have miraculous effects, some are rather harmful, which is why we do not just trust anyone or allow them to mine our planet, or take samples with them". Daniel nodded. "We appreciate your trust, Tanno", he said respectfully. Tanno bowed and pointed at the first canister. "This is juice from our alcora plant. It calms the nerves and numbs the pain, but in high amounts, it may cause hallucinations and permanent numbness or paralysis", he said seriously. Daniel looked impressed. "We use it as a medicine, but it _is_ dangerous in incapable or enemy hands", he continued. "We understand", Daniel reassured him. Tanno moved towards the next flask, which was very small and looked quite fragile. "This is a very rare and valuable liquid, it is collected from the petals of our gerania flower, which only grows in the highest heat of summer, it requires a very hot climate, and attracts animals as well, which is why we must carefully guard the patches", Tanno explained. "What's so unique about the liquid?", Jack asked, his curiosity peeked. "It cures any illment instantly. One drop has cured any disease or infection we have encountered", he stated proudly. "Wow", Sam said softly. Tanno smiled. "Indeed, but gathering it is quite the challenge". Daniel pointed at the third container, "What's this? It smells amazing!" Jack frowned at Daniel, disapproving the younger man's childish enthusiasm. "This liquid, called emora, is extracted from the leaves of a certain kind of tree. It is much like alcohol, in that it induces the senses. It makes the drinker less inhibited and more likely to talk freely. It is not quite a truth serum, but can be used to deduct information from an unwilling person". The three teammates frowned at that. "Can it be registered in another drink?", Jack asked, already on his toes. "It has a naturally sweet taste, so it depends on the drink", Tanno answered honestly. "But there is no need for concern, it is merely an aid, although, it cannot _force_ the drinker to tell the truth". "But let us move on", he continued.

After looking at several more canisters, which included more healing potions, leaves that could replace a whole meal, juice made from roots that could induce love and many others, Sam, Jack, and Daniel were tired, and sent to their tent to rest and start negotiations in the morning.

o

Back at the tent, Sam remembered the romantic setting the villagers had provided for them. Daniel has a separate section, and various curtains were hung to provide privacy. Even though she has shared a tent with Jack before, she still felt quite uncomfortable. The curtains, the pillows, the soft light and the red veils set a certain atmosphere, and as their 'room' was at the entrance of the tent, she and Jack would have to sleep together in case Tanno or anyone else came in. Sam slipped behind the curtain to change out of her outfit, which was still attracting Jack's stare. Wondering what to sleep in, she saw a nightdress lying on a chair. She had to admit, these people had class… She lifted it and held it up before her body. It looked pretty decent, she wasn't planning on wearing see-through fabric while sharing a bed with her CO. Dressing quickly, she pushed aside the curtain to find Jack, already undressed, lying on a pile of pillows in what appeared to be white cotton pants… and nothing else. Swallowing heavily, she forced her beating heart to calm down, and walked towards him.

o

Jack was feeling more and more uncomfortable by the minute. Every time Sam changed outfits, she looked more and more irresistible, and he wondered how much more he could take. He also wondered how much his white pants could hide… He cleared his throat as he saw the object of his thoughts walking towards him in an ivory white night dress. 'Ah for crying out loud', he thought, 'was she _trying _to kill him?'

"So, exciting day huh?" he asked her. "Yeah", Sam smiled, "I have to admit this mission turned out way better than I expected". Jack was relieved. Talking about the mission was something he could do. "I know, I think we might actually get away with some useful stuff, those medicines he showed us….", he trailed off. "Amazing huh?" Sam smiled. "Indeed", Jack answered. Lying back, he couldn't help but think back on the various canisters Tanno had showed them, and wonder whether they would all be as effective on earth…

o

Daniel lay on his side of the curtain. He was pretty content with how everything had gone. The villagers of Eroga sure had a lot to offer them, but he wondered what they would ask in return. It seemed they had everything they needed. Although he was afraid of Sam's treatment at first, the villagers seemed to treat their women quite well. They weren't emancipated, but they weren't treated as slaves or mistreated in any way. Tanno and Deran seemed to respect their own wives as well as Sam, Daniel thought.

It sure seemed like Sam didn't mind the place either. He smiled, remembering her giggle, and Jack's look when he saw her outfit. Thinking about the many medicines and potions Tanno had showed him, he wondered if they had a plant or root that could make Jack and Sam pick up their courage and tell each other how they really felt. Then, suddenly, an idea formed in Daniel's head, and as he went to sleep, the smiling faces of Sam and Jack lingered in his mind.

TBC...

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That's chapter 3 everyone, thanks for reading and pleaaase review :). Thank you!

E.


	4. Chapter 4: Negotiations

Hi everyone, it's been a while again, sorry for that. In any case here's chapter 4 and 5 is partly written already.

Hope you enjoy and keep reviewing!

Happy reading.

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Chapter 4

Sam, Jack and Daniel sat on one side of a large wooden table. They had been called to a roomy tent, which was apparently the destined location for their negotiation talks. Jack wondered again why the villagers still lived in tents; as far as Jack could tell, they were quite capable of building structures and houses. He looked around, trying to figure out which materials the villagers had used to construct their homes… Some animal skins, probably, Jack thought. Suddenly, Daniel cleared his throat, as a hint for Jack to refocus his wandering eyes and pay attention to the men now entering the tent. Among them were Tanno, Deran and two unknown, slightly older men. The elderly looked at Sam oddly, but kept quiet and sat down across the three members of SG1. Daniel had explained to them that women were equal to men on earth, and for now the leaders of Eroga seemed to accept that.

"Friends," Tanno started, "it is my honour to introduce you to our great leaders, Heram and Nolus. They rule various villages on our world, which together form a unity. Deran and myself rule according to their will in this village, but it is they who are the true leaders." Daniel stood up and extended his hand. "It is an honour to meet you, Heram and Nolus. We would like to thank you for welcoming us to your community and for sharing your knowledge with us. We have found your planet to be an extremely agreeable and hospitable place." The oldest man nodded and signalled Daniel to sit down. He looked around the table and his eyes rested on Jack. "You are their leader?", he asked. "Yes I am", Jack answered, serious for once. "You have been welcomed properly?" the old man continued. "Yes we have," Jack replied, "Tanno and Deran have been wonderful hosts", he added. The man nodded again and looked at his colleague, who then spoke up. "You have interest in our potions, is that correct?" he asked. "Yes we do," Jack replied again, "we could really use some of them on our home planet. People aren't in touch with nature as much as you are, and we have many diseases that your medicines may cure." "We will not supply you with anything lethal or dangerous, do you understand this?" Jack nodded. "For this reason, you shall receive small flasks of selected potions, which you may test on your home planet. When you establish their effectiveness, you may revisit and we will sit together to work out the details", the man concluded. Jack rose and smiled. "Thank you, we want to assure you that we only wish to cure, not harm. We're very grateful and will offer you whatever you need in return." Deran, Tanno, Nollus and Heram all rose and shook his hand, then left the tent. Jack, still standing, looked around at the hopeful faces of his team members and whispered "wow". Daniel smiled. "You know Jack," he started, "if these things work, the whole Stargate programme is validated once and for all…". "Yeah…" Jack said, not quite knowing what to say, but feeling quite impressed with the events.

ooo

SG1 packed up and exited the stargate within the hour. After a long mission debriefing, the samples were turned over to Dr. Fraiser and her team, and the members of SG1 were granted some well-deserved downtime.

Jack O'Neill was woken up by a series of very persistent knocks on his door, followed by a much too familiar voice calling out his name, loudly: "Jack!", he heard, "Jack, wake up!", the annoying voice continued. Jack O'Neill only grunted in response. He was having a very nice, if not somewhat X-rated dream about a beautiful blond military officer, and he had no desire to leave this dream and return to reality. "JAAACK", the voice persisted. Jack sighed, opened his eyes and crawled out of bed. He dragged his tired body to the door, opened it slightly and snapped: "Yes?". On the other side of the door stood a very chipper and impatient Daniel Jackson, which only irritated Jack further. "What is it, Daniel?", he practically spat. Daniel blinked, but spoke up, nonplussed by his friend's rude behaviour: "I just wanted to tell you that Janet finished her experiments on the medicines we brought back", he smiled, "General Hammond called a debriefing, in 20 minutes", he finished. "Right", Jack sighed, rubbing his face. "Thanks Daniel, I'll be there", he told the younger man, before closing the door in his face.

Jack went over to the bathroom and splashed his face with cold water in a foul effort to wake up, all the while trying to wrap his mind around the possible impact of the results of Janet's research.

ooo

That's it for chapter 4 guys but more soon! Please review!


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